Snap-switch.



F. S. CABELLO. SNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 8, 1907.

905,792. l Patented @90.41, was

WITNESSES Inn/ENTER FRAN K5. CAPELLE UNITED srkrpsgrnnr ourson.

l FRANK S. CPELLO, OF SCHENECTADC NW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC v(IOMIDANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW- YORK.

SNAP-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed ctober'8, 1907. Serial N o. 396,393.

Patented Dec. l, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownvthat I, FRANK S. CABELLO, a

citizen of the United States, residingat which' the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to rotary electric switches of the `quick-break type, in which the rotatable sfindle is connectedwith the rotary switch-'b ade by a helical s ring-which is tensioned by the turning oft e spindle; the blade being locked from moving until a catch-plate movable thereon has been disengaged from a fixed stop by the rotation of the spindle through a predetermined arc. In many switches Of this: type theucatchplatereciprocates 1in guides on the switchlade and is ,moved by a crank-pin, or other actuator, lon the spindle, engaging in a suitably shaped slot in said 'catch-plate. A longer slot is made in the catch-plategto ermit the s indle to passth'rough it, and 1t sometimes yappens t at the actuating pin or arm slips out of its proper. notch into the long slot 'and becomes jammed therein, so that the switch, is rendered inoperative and is liable to be broken. i

The object of myv invention is to prevent this trouble, and Iaccomplish this result by' making the pin radially movable in or on the s indle, andso shaping the slot inthe catchp ate that the pin 1s held at all times in its proper positionwithout any possibility of accidental displacement.

The accompanying drawing yrepresents the preferred embodiment of. my invention, Figure 1 being a top plan view of a doublepole switch with the spindle in cross section;

ig. 2 a vertical section of the complete switch; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 diagrams showing the"- operation of my improved actuator;

Figs. 6 and 7 erspectivevlews, respectively, of the catch-p ate and actuator.

' The switch has the customary base 1 made of insulating material and supporting four posts 2 A3 to which are Vsecured the ,contact clips 4 5. The spindle 6 is centrall'ylocated with reference to said posts -2 3 and is jour- -naled preferablyin a stationary plate 7 fastened to the base by screws 8. This plate has on its periphery four equidistaht ratchet teeth'9 serving as stops to arrest the rotation of the switch blades or pole pieces -10 11. The latter are secured to a` barrelof insularatchet-tooth becomes greater.

f tion mounted on the spindle and fr-eel rotatable thereon. The s in'dle isY yie dingly connected tothe barrel y a helical spring'12 surrounding the spindle and attached thereto at its upper end. The vlower endof the spring is hooked around one of a number ofl studs 13 projecting from the top of the barrel and affording a convenient means for adjusting the tension of the spring by changing it from stud to stud. The two switch-blades are insulated from cach other, and the lower one has downwardlyturned parallel ledges or `flanges 14 serving as guides for the1 sliding catch-plate 15. At one end of the catchplate is a downwardly projecting lug 16 adapted to engage with t e ratchet teeth 9 on the stop-plate 7. The catch-plate is slotted longitudinally to enable` it to slide transverse to the spindle which passes through it. In the plane of this-plate the spindle carries a transversely slidable actuator engaging with said slot. The preferred construction is that shown in the drawing in which the acftuator has a square shank 17 itted to slide in around hole in the spindle.4 VA square shank is much less expensive to make than around one, as it can be punched in a die press. The head 18 of the actuator is preferably a circular disk and it engages in a semi-circular notch 19 in oneside of the slot 2O in the catch-plate. The side 21' of the slot opposite the notch is concentric Atherewith, being struck on a radius equal to the length of the actuator, which is such that the end of the shank always projects beyond the spindle. The result of this construction is that when the catch-plate is at the end of its stroke, the. projecting end of the shank prevents the spindle from rotating in a direction which would disengage the disk from its notch. Moreover, when the spindle is turned the other way, to actuate the catchlate, the actuator is permitted to lslide bac through the spindle, as shown in Fig. 4, so that its erfeet-ive radius is shortened and its purchase onA the catch-plate is correspondingly increased as the tension of the spring increases,

and the consequent friction of the lug on the As the slide nears the end of its stroke, the circular side 21 of the slot pushes the actuator outwardly so that the head 18 thereof is kept in close engagement dwith its notch 19. The same is true when the lug 16 slips oli the tooth 9 of the stop-plate and the parts snap back to their original positions,`as shown in Figs. .3 and .3, ,the shank abuttinflr against the end of the slot20 and locking the spindle againstl backward movement.

The operation of this ty e of; snap action is so well known to those ski led in the art that it is not deemed necessary to go into it at length. It is also evident that the invention is applicable to single-pole switches as Well as to double-pole ones.

I/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,"-

1. In a snap switch, the combination with a spindle, of a catch-plate 'having a slot, and an actuator engaging with said slot and adapted to slide transversely of said spindle.

2. ln a snap switch, the combination with a spindle, of an actuator adapted to slide transversely thereof, and a catch-plate having a slot containing a notch on one side with which one end of said actuator engages, the opposite side of said slot being concentric with said notch and engaging the other cnd of said actuator.

l3. In a snap switch, the combination with a spindle having a transverse hole, of

an actuator having a square shank fitting 4. In a snap switch, the combination with a spindle having a transverse hole, of an actuator adapted to slide therein and having a shank long enough to project beyond said spindle at all times, and a catchlate having a slot always in engagement with both ends of said shank. A 5. A base having contacts, a catch secured thereto, a trip plate having a trip coperating with said catch and provided with a coupler opening having opposite edges formed on the arcs of concentric circles, means for rotating the trip, a switch bar having contacts and operatively connected with the trip, primary actuating means, and a coupler fitting said coupler opening and loosely engaging with said primar; actuating means. ln witness whereof, I ave hereunto set my hand this 4th day of October, 1907.

FRANK S. CAPELLO. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL,l HELEN ORFORD. 

